1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a dialysis machine, in particular a peritoneal dialysis machine, to which a fluid system can be coupled which has a multi-chamber container with at least two chambers comprising individual solutions and separated by a partition arrangement to be opened mechanically. The dialysis machine in this respect furthermore has a controller and at least one sensor for the determination of a measured variable in the fluid system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of dialysis, in particular in the field of peritoneal dialysis, it is usual to mix prepared individual solutions with one another only briefly before the treatment in order thus to provide a finished dialysis solution. This is due, on the one hand, to the fact that certain ingredients are incompatible for storage and unwanted waste products arise on storage in the mixed state. In addition, the heat sterilization of the solution in the mixed state is often problematic or not possible.
To ensure a simple handling of such solutions incompatible for storage, they are divided into individual solutions compatible for storage and are packed in a multi-chamber container which has at least two chambers. To ensure a simple combination of the individual solutions, the chambers are separated by a partition arrangement which can be mechanically opened. Briefly before the treatment, the partition arrangement is therefore manually opened by the patient or by an operator so that the individual solutions mix to form the desired dialysis solution.
Typically, a multi-chamber bag is used as the multi-chamber container in this respect. A seam which is easy to open and which is also called a peel seam is typically used as the partition arrangement for the division of the bag into a plurality of separate chambers. The seam is in this respect designed to be stable so that an unintentional opening of the seam and a combination of the individual solution associated therewith being able to be avoided during storage and transport. The peel seam between the chambers is then opened briefly before the treatment so that the at least two chambers combine to one single chamber and the previously separately stored individual solutions can mix with one another. In this respect, the opening takes place by the patient or by a user in that pressure is exerted onto at least one of the chambers, whereby the peel seam is opened.
After the opening of the partition arrangement, dialysis fluid can now be removed from the multi-chamber container. For this purpose, the multi-chamber container typically has an outflow, e.g. in the form of a hose arrangement. This is typically arranged in the region of one of the at least two chambers in known multi-chamber containers, in particular with multi-chamber bags. If the partition arrangement is therefore not opened properly, only one of the individual solutions flows out of the multi-chamber container. This can result in substantial risks for the patient since hereby the correct dialysis fluid, which comprises a mixture of the plurality of individual solutions, is not used, but rather an individual solution.
It is therefore known from the field of hemodialysis to dispense with the use of multi-chamber containers and to manufacture the total solution by separate pumping out of the individual solutions and an automatic mixing of the individual solutions by the dialysis machine. A conductivity sensor is typically used here which monitors the correct mixture of the total solution which arises.
In the field of peritoneal dialysis, the dialysate is, however, supplied directly from the abdomen of the patient so that substantially higher demands have to be made on the sterility of the dialysate. The use of conductivity sensors is therefore extremely problematic in the field of peritoneal dialysis. Multi-chamber containers having a partition arrangement to be opened mechanically are therefore in particular used in the field of peritoneal dialysis.
With known dialysis systems in which multi-chamber containers are used, an attempt is therefore made, e.g. via operator guidance with warning messages, to guide the operator to a more proper opening of the partition arrangement. In addition, partly mechanical designs of the multi-chamber container are known in which a discharge of fluid from the multi-chamber container only becomes possible after opening the partition arrangement. However, it has not yet been possible to achieve sufficient safety with known systems.